2023 has been a good year for Reminisce Connect. The family achieved what we set out to accomplish: the move towards meeting the spiritual needs of Seniors and their caregivers. Reminiscence and Spirituality (REST) a 12-week reminiscence sessions took flight at a Christian senior care centre where new friendships are fostered and lives are impacted. It works on the presupposition that though the body and mental faculty may wear away with time, the elderly, including those living with dementia, have an intrinsic capacity within their inner being to connect with God. Hence, these reminiscence sessions aim to provide the link for this connectivity. Together with the use of reminiscence arts activities, REST aims to promote and enhance the well-being of the elderly with this celebration : We are all made beautiful in God’s eyes. Each of us is engraved on the palm of His hand. He will never forget us.
John Enoch, our son and a new addition to Reminisce Connect graduated from high school. In his pursuit of photography, he joined us in the documentation of our reminiscence sessions.
Training at the Bathway Theatre, Woolwich, United Kingdom by the European Reminiscence
Network (ERN), 19-20 January 2023.
To further equip ourselves in this work, Arthur and John attended the Reminiscence Arts in Dementia Care course at the Bathway Theatre, Woolrich, London in January 2023 under the tutelage of the eminent Pam Schweitzer, Founder of the the European Reminiscence Network (ERN). Arthur receives his accreditation certificate as Facilitator of Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today upon his completion of a one-year apprenticeship in Reminiscence Arts in Dementia Care with the ERN.
Reminiscence Network (ERN) and her associates Sue Heiser (extreme left) and Caroline Baker
The family trio presented at the European Reminiscence Network (ERN) Conference in Amsterdam (30 Sep to 1 Oct 2023) on Reminiscence and Spirituality based on our reflection from a twelve-week practicum sessions we conducted with our volunteers at a centre for seniors.
Reminisce Connect was also invited to participate and share at the St Luke’s Eldercare (SLEC) Comcare Symposium and Workshop held at the SIM campus on 29 September 2023. Titled “Healing Conversation”, the family took to the stage and shared how as a unit, with God’s help, we struggled and navigated around the challenges of living with mild cognitive impairment (mci), attention deficient and hyperactive disorder (adhd) and heightened anxiety.
During the afternoon workshop session, the family, together with Reminisce Connect volunteers, shared with the participants the value of reminiscence in dementia care in a highly engaging hands-on activity based on their experiences at the reminiscence sessions held at a St Luke’s ElderCare Centre.
Dementia Colab Network Meeting, 27 July @ Dementia Singapore
As a beneficiary of the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) Integrated Cognitive Engagement (NNICE) Programme, Arthur shared how he had benefited from the wonderful support provided by his NNI doctors and psychologist as well as from the NNICE programme in helping him with neurological condition training so that he can navigate the daily challenges of mild cognitive impairment and continue to lead purposeful life.
Christmas @ Family of Wisdom, Dementia Singapore
The year ended with an alumni gathering of Take off Your CAP! participants over three days at the Family of Wisdom (Bendemeer) over three days in the month of December. The Christmas programme was designed in the form of a “Sharp Night” show; a Christmas Cantata and our very own version of the President’s Charity Show. It was a gathering of old friends, caregivers, domestic helpers, DSG staff and volunteers, where friendships were forged as early as 2018 when we first launched Reminisce Connect’s first Take off your CAP! – a 12-week reminiscence sessions at the old DSG office.
